Malaysian police had seized nearly $270 million (MYR 1.1 billion) of luxury handbags, jewelry, watches and values from properties linked to Malaysia’s ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife. More than 12,000 items were seized, including 423 watches, 234 pairs of sunglasses and 567 handbags, of which 272 are Hermes bags. The items were seized from 6 properties, and are estimated be worth between $222 million to $270 million (MYR 900 million to MYR 1.1 billion).

Malaysian’s authorities are investigating Malaysia’s ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak involvement in siphoning billions of funds from the state investment vehicle founded in 2009, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). He is alleged to have laundered $681 million through his bank account, but had stated the money were donations from Saudi Arabia. He was the Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2008 to 2018, and is the eldest son of Malaysia’s 2nd Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein (1970-1976).

The US Department of Justice has alleged in lawsuits that more than $4.5 billion from 1MDB was misappropriated, with money going int Hollywood movie “The Wolf of Wall Street”, Picasso painting, luxury yacht and luxury real estates in South Carolina and New York.